The N.B.A. Development League staged its annual All-Star Game at Barclays Center on Sunday afternoon, pitting the Western Conference Prospects against the Eastern Conference Futures.

If the team names were not indication enough that the event was geared around the twin concepts of youth and potential, two supplemental activities — a 3-point shootout before the game and a dunk contest at halftime — were billed by the league as the Dream Factory.

For young players from teams like the Santa Cruz Warriors and the Canton Charge — the unsung, the unknown, the undrafted — the events presented a rare opportunity to share the bright lights of All-Star weekend with their N.B.A. brethren, and perhaps even impress a few of the big-league scouts and front-office types who were sitting courtside.

And then there was Damien Wilkins, who, at 35, started for the Futures — “How ironic is that?” he asked — and was the only person in the building who had played four seasons with the Seattle SuperSonics. Wilkins, a small forward, is spending the latest phase of his peripatetic career with the Iowa Energy, busing from city to city while logging nearly 39 minutes a game in basketball outposts like Grand Rapids, Mich., and Erie, Pa.

“Ultimately,” he said, “my goal is to get back to the N.B.A. I want that more than anything, man.”

On Sunday, Wilkins assumed his familiar role as D-League elder statesman and was unwilling to cede the stage. He cluttered the box score by launching 15 shots in 21 minutes and scored 13 points in the Futures’ 129-94 victory over the Prospects.

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Andre Emmett, 32, center, with Tim Frazier (10), scored 28 points and was named the game’s M.V.P.CreditMichelle V. Agins/The New York Times

“When they approached me about this, there was no doubt I was coming,” Wilkins said. “It’s a testament to what I’ve been doing in the D-League this season. I wanted to come here to represent myself, my family, my team — and try to put on a good show.”

His basketball odyssey has included stints with the Sonics, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Atlanta Hawks, the Detroit Pistons, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association and, most recently, the Indios de Mayagüez of Puerto Rico’s Baloncesto Superior Nacional.

Wilkins has been a teammate of Kevin Durant and Stephon Marbury. He has competed in the N.B.A. playoffs. He has made a handsome living. But he tends not to view basketball in the past tense, which he made clear when he referred to the D-League All-Star Game as the “opportunity of a lifetime” — and actually seemed to mean it.

“You can’t take this for granted,” he said. “It’s not my right to be here. It’s a privilege. A lot of guys would like to be here.”

Above all, the afternoon was a showcase for players on the margins. Jarell Eddie, a 23-year-old guard with the Austin Spurs, defeated Seth Curry of the Erie BayHawks in the final of the 3-point competition. (Curry’s brother, Stephen, won the N.B.A. version of the event on Saturday.) And in the dunk contest, Jarvis Threatt of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers posted two perfect scores to edge Thanasis Antetokounmpo of the Westchester Knicks. Threatt, 21, went between his legs on his final attempt and then stole one of the judge’s cards to give himself a 10.

The game itself had more of a vintage feel. Andre Emmett, a 32-year-old journeyman with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, shot 10 of 14 from the field, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range, to finish with 28 points. He was named the game’s most valuable player. Emmett said he wanted another crack at the N.B.A.

“You never know,” said Emmett, who appeared in eight games with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2004-5 and in six games with the Nets in 2011-12. “Just be patient and keep grinding and pray something good comes of it.”

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Wilkins making a dunk in the second half.CreditMichelle V. Agins/The New York Times

Emmett kept using the word “business” — as in, the game was business for him, and that mentality was shared by pretty much everyone involved. Both teams played defense, which is generally absent from the All-Star code of conduct. But these players were vying for something — for N.B.A. contracts — or at least that was the hope.

“Every time you’re able to step out on the court, it’s a chance for somebody to see you,” said Tim Frazier, 24, a point guard with the Maine Red Claws.

So far this season, 25 D-League players have been signed by N.B.A. teams, tangible proof to players like Frazier that the dream is not so distant. And then there are veterans like Wilkins, one of 12 players in Sunday’s game with N.B.A. experience and a shared desire to return.

“I think I can come in and fill a role,” said Wilkins, who is averaging 20.8 points and 6.3 rebounds with the Energy, the D-League affiliate of the Grizzlies.

On Sunday, Wilkins leaked out for a series of fast-break dunks that were distinctly old-school: two hands, authoritative, no frills. At this stage of his professional life, Wilkins knows that 2 points are 2 points, that the aesthetics make no difference. And while he could be making more money overseas, he said he viewed the D-League as his most effective path to the N.B.A.

“I want for those people to see the improvements I’ve made as a player, and to show that I can still help a team win,” he said. “That’s all I want.”

His dream is a timeless one, even if his career has an expiration date. For one day, back on a big stage, he tried to preserve both.

A version of this article appears in print on , Section D, Page 3 of the New York edition with the headline: As D-League Celebrates Future, Older Players Savor Their Invitations. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe